Location: Mafinga Mountains

General Information

Quarter degree square: 0933C4

Country: Zambia

Habitat: Miombo covers most of the lower slopes small stretches of montane grassland,Along the streams are patches of riparian forest.

Altitude range: 1200-2200 m

Annual rainfall: 951-1050 mm

Location (short): Northern Province

Location (detailed): Area is 130 sq km. Isoka District. The most northerly block of mountains within Zambia's eastern highlands. As with the Nyika Plateau, the Mafingas straddle the inter-national boundary with Malawi. As well as Mafinga National Forest (No. 296) in the south of the area, the site encompasses all the land above about the 1500m contour which is largely uninhabited and rarely even visited.

Description

Miombo covers most of the lower slopes and in several places it reaches unusually high altitudes of over 2000m. In some areas this woodland is dominated by masuku trees Uapaca spp. Broken rocky terrain and scree cover large parts of the higher ground and there are small stretches of montane grassland and Pro tea scrub. Along the streams are patches of riparian forest, often in precipitous gullies, but there is only one large patch (40ha) of montane forest known as Mulangale (9°59'S 33°l8'E). Most forest is bordered by bracken briar. The Mafingas are an important catchment area and they contain the source of the Luangwa.

Useful links

View a list of records for Mafinga Mountains

View a list of unique taxa (excluding cultivated plants) for Mafinga Mountains

View a list of unique taxa (all taxa whether cultivated or not) for Mafinga Mountains

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View a list of recorders who have visited this location


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Location details: Mafinga Mountains.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/location-display.php?location_id=119, retrieved 14 December 2024

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